Dia De Los Muertos - Pumpkin Bread Cake

INGREDIENTS

PUMPKIN BREAD CAKE:

  • 532 gr  all-purpose flour, sifted

  • 10 gr  baking powder

  • 8 gr  baking soda

  • 10 gr  kosher salt

  • 7 gr  cinnamon powder

  • 9 gr  pumpkin pie spice powder

  • 405 gr  canola oil

  • 435 gr  eggs

  • 346 gr  brown sugar

  • 195 gr  granulated sugar

  • 485 gr  pumpkin purée, Boiron brand preferred

  • 9 gr  vanilla extract

PEPITA BRITTLE

  • 170 gr  green pepitas

  • 88 gr  corn syrup

  • 177 gr  granulated sugar

  • 40 gr  water

  • 50 gr  butter

  • 3/4 tsp baking soda

  • 1/2 tsp  kosher salt

  • 1/8 tsp  cinnamon powder

  • 1/8 tsp  cayenne pepper powder

PUMPKIN ‘TACHA’ PURÉE:

  • 1  kabocha pumpkin

  • 1 cinnamon stick

  • 1 star anise

  • 8 cloves

  • 1 orange peel

  • 2 kg  water

  • 500 gr  brown sugar

ORANGE BLOSSOM MILK:

  • 370 gr  evaporated milk

  • 480 gr  whole milk

  • 375 gr  condensed milk

  • 2 tsp  orange blossom essence

TO ASSEMBLE

  • Pumpkin bread cake

  • Caramel tacha pumpkin purée

  • Spiced pepitas brittle

  • Orange blossom milk

  • Cinnamon ice cream

  • Whipped cream

  • Marigold petal flowers

DIRECTIONS

MAKE THE CAKE:

Preheat oven 350°F. Combine the dry ingredients together and reserve. Line a baking dish with parchment and spray with cooking spray or butter (fully coat the pan or cake will stick).

In a separate bowl, combine the eggs and sugar and whisk until incorporated. Add the pumpkin purée and the vanilla extract until combined. Drizzle the oil into the mix, making sure it is fully incorporated. Add the dry ingredients and combine until it becomes a batter (not too runny or thick). Pour onto a lined baking pan and bake in oven for 30-35 minutes.

Let cool down to room temperature, cut rectangular portions, store in the refrigerator. Cut the cake into rectangular layers.

MAKE THE PEPITA BRITTLE

Mix the baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and cayenne pepper and reserve. Mix the corn syrup, sugar, and water in a pot on a medium heat. After it becomes caramel golden brown, add the butter till melted, then add the green pepitas into the caramel and mix with the spatula. Add the powder ingredients and mix properly with the spatula. It will bubble up, immediately pull it off the heat and pour onto a silk pad-sheet tray and spread with a rubber spatula. Use another silk pad on top and press with a sheet-pan. Cool down at room temperature. Once cool, add the caramel pepitas into a robo-coupe and pulse until crushed (not a fine powder but crumble cookie pieces).

MAKE THE PUMPKIN ‘TACHA’ PURÉE:

Cook the squash: Wash the pumpkin, cut in half, remove the seeds and the fibrous strands. Do not peel. Cut pumpkin into thick half-moons. In a pot combine all the ingredients, place on the stove, and bring to a boil. Keep simmering until the pumpkin gets soft and cooked. Remove from the fire, cool down, and reserve.

Make the tacha purée: Remove the skin from the squash to get the pulp. Place the pulp into the Vitamix blender along with the syrup, starting from low speed and gradually increase to a high speed.

MAKE THE ORANGE BLOSSOM MILK:

Mix all the ingredients and chill at least 4 hours before use. Note: the amount of orange blossom essence will depend on the brand and the concentration of the essence.

ASSEMBLE THE CAKE:

First, take two pieces of pre-portioned pumpkin cake and soak them in the orange blossom milk– only use enough for the cake to absorb the liquid but not break. Plate the caramel using a piping bag tied off at the top. Pipe the caramel in the center of the plate radiating out in a circular motion. Add the two pieces of cake stacked on top of each other and place at a diagonal on the left side of the circle. Whipped cream is placed on top of the cake in a straight line. Garnish the top with spiced pepita brittle and marigold petals.

Richard Sandoval Hospitality